Hepatitis AOverview

Hepatitis A is a liver infection caused by a virus that's spread in the poo of an infected person.

It's uncommon in the UK, but certain groups are at increased risk. This includes travellers to parts of the world with poor levels of sanitation, men who have sex with men, and people who inject drugs.

Hepatitis A can be unpleasant, but it's not usually serious and most people make a full recovery within a couple of months.

Some people, particularly young children, may not have any symptoms.

But hepatitis A can occasionally last for many months and, in rare cases, it can be life threatening if it causes the liver to stop working properly (liver failure).

When to get medical advice

you have symptoms of hepatitis A – a blood test can usually confirm whether you have the infection

you might have been exposed to the hepatitis A virus recently but you do not have any symptoms – treatment given early on may be able to stop the infection developing

you think you might need the hepatitis A vaccine – your GP can advise you about whether you should have the vaccine

Although hepatitis A is not usually serious, it's important to see your GP so they can rule out more serious conditions with similar symptoms, such as hepatitis C or scarring of ther liver (cirrhosis).

It may also be necessary to test your friends, family and any sexual partners in case you have spread the infection to them.

How you can get hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is most widespread in parts of the world where standards of sanitation and food hygiene are generally poor, such as parts of Africa, the Indian subcontinent, the Far East, the Middle East, and Central and South America.

You can get the infection from:

eating food prepared by someone with the infection who has not washed their hands properly or washed them in water contaminated with sewage

drinking contaminated water, including ice cubes

eating raw or undercooked shellfish from contaminated water

close contact with someone who has hepatitis A

less commonly, having sex with someone with hepatitis A (this is particularly a risk for men who have sex with men) or injecting drugs using contaminated equipment

Someone with hepatitis A is most infectious from around 2 weeks before symptoms appear until about a week after symptoms first develop.

people who may be exposed to hepatitis A through their job – this includes sewage workers, people who work for organisations where personal hygiene may be poor, such as a homeless shelter, and people working with monkeys, apes and gorillas

The hepatitis A vaccine is usually available for free on the NHS for anyone who needs it.

Treatments for hepatitis A

There's currently no cure for hepatitis A. But it usually gets better on its own within a couple of months. You can usually look after yourself at home.

While you're ill, it's a good idea to:

get plenty of rest

take painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, for any aches and pains – ask your GP for advice about this, as you may need to take lower doses than normal or avoid certain medications until you have recovered